One with Christ

As I woke up in the middle of the night, God turned my thoughts toward Him and I began to understand a fraction of what it means to be one with Christ. When I actually "connect" with Christ in His suffering for mankind my heart will ache for those who do not know Him. I will hurt as a mother in childbirth who pushes and pushes and then screams in agony as the child is birthed into the world. My groans will echo His and turn to a roar as the battle for new life is won.
When I am One with Christ my heart will mourn when Christ's Bride, the Church, turns away from Him and chooses other lovers. I will feel the pain, the suffering of seeing my Christ's Beloved turn aside from telling others about Him to telling others about a new love they have found. I will see the shame in that and will be heartbroken. Like Nehemiah I will weep and mourn over the broken relationship. My heart will be torn, ripped apart and I will feel the ache, the pain that Christ suffered for His Bride.
I will see Him turn to me and cry out for my very soul when I sin against Him, when I choose to follow other loves. I will recognize that His Love is so great that I will turn to Him in sorrow that I could ever forget Him and His compassion for me so easily. His everlasting Love for me is so Great that I will cry and weep over my foolishness and embrace Him even more closely. My thankfulness for His Grace will be so much more than mere words can describe that I will fall at His feet in awe.

The Scope of God's Restoration Project

Boy, I am convicted! My blog says it all. I have reduced the size of God's restoration to my own little world. Paul David Tripp says,

... we are call to live with the total restoration of creation in view. . . . This means to live with restoration in view in every situation, location, and relationship in which God places me. . . . then what should you and I care about? EVERYTHING! . . . . His restoring grace gives you reason to extend the boundaries of your concern way beyond the borders of your own life.